Cut-out



(No Model.)

C. R. ARNOLD.

GUT-OUT.

Patented Dec.8, 1891.

INVENTDH.' Crazy R. Hrw/old ATTEST,l

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CRAIG RITCIIIE ARNOLD, OF SHARON IIILL, PENNSYLVANIA.

CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 464,548, dated December8, 1891.

Application tiled June l1, 1891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CRAIG RrroHiE An- NOLD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Sharon Hill, in the county of Delaware andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Cut-Out,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the construction of that class of devicesemployed in connection with electric circuits wherein the wire or stripof some readily-fusible material is interposed in the electric circuitand is adapted to fuse and break the circuit when a current of abnormalstrength flows through it. In this class of devices there are ordinarilyprovided two holding devices of conducting material placed atoppositesides of a break in the circuit, and the fusible wire or cut-out iscarried by a suitable support and is connected at its ends to piecesofmetal adapted to make connection with the said holders, so as tocomplete the circuit through the fusible wire or strip.

My present invention relates to a special construction of these devices,and is designed to provide a simple, efficient, and cheap device for thepurpose.

The invention consists in the details of construction and combinationsof devices hereinafter described, and more particularly specified in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of theapparatus with the detachable tube and fuse removed. Fig. 2 shows thesaid tube and fuse separately in perspective.

A is an open-ended tube of glass or similar conducting and non-fusiblematerial adapted to receive the fuse wire or strip B.

C C are ferrules or rings fastened around the ends of the open tube byany desired means and having the ends of the fusible wire in the tubesoldered to them, as shown in the drawings. The tube protects thefusible strip or wire from injury and permits inspection. The ferrulesor rings C C are adapted to make connection with and bridge the spacebetween the holders at opposite sides of the gap in the electric circuitto be completed by the fuse-wire. These holders are indicated at D D.Each consists of a plate of metal fastened in a block E of somenon-conduct- Serial No. 395,866'. (No model.)

ing substance by a screw passing up from beneath the block E, asindicated in dotted lines. They arealso each provided with abindingscrew F for attachment of the wires of the circuit. v

G G are U-shaped springs forming jaws or contacts adapted to grasp theferrules C C. The spring jaws or clips G consist of pieces of springmetal, which are soldered beneath tongues II at the ends of the plates Dopposite the binding-screws F, as clearly shown in the drawings. Theplates D, with the tongues Il, may be readily struck up from sheetmetal, and the springs G may be also cut out and bent up to the desiredshape from sheets of metal and soldered in place.

As will be observed, no particular pains need be-taken to insert thetube into the holders in any particular position, as contact may be madeindifferently at all parts of the rings or ferrules by the contactsprings or jaws G.

I am aware that it has been before proposed to place the fuse-wire in aglass tube and to put the ends thereof in electrical connection withpieces of metal carried by said tube, and do not therefore wish to beunderstood as claiming such construction, broadly; but in the previousinstances where tubes have been employed the end of the tube has beenpractically closed by means of a cap of metal through which connectionis made to the fuse-holder springs or clips. In this construction, theend of the tube being practically closed, there results a violentexplosion of the tube when the tubes melt, so that in case of a blow-outthe device is uniitted for further use, the tube being destroyed. In myconstruction, the ends of the tube being open, there is no opportunityfor the confinement of the explosive air or gases which form when thefuse suddenly melts.

Another advantage of my construction is that connection is made at eachend of the tube by means of two contacts or contactsurfaces formed bythe two springs which engage the ferrule at its opposite sides, whereasin prior constructions where the connection is made by a spring-clampbearing longitudinally against the cap on the end of the tube, but onecontact-path is provided for the current.

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What I claim as my invention is l. In a fusible cut-out for electriccircuits, the combination, substantially as described, of the open glasstube having the metal ferrules or rings applied at its ends and afusible strip or Wire Within the tube having its ends fastened to saidferrules.

2. In a fusible cut-ont for electric circuits, thecombination,'substantially as described, of the glass tube open at itsends, having ferrules or rings attached toits ends and containing afusible Wire, the ends of Which are soldered to said ferrules, and thespring jaws or holders G, as and for the purpose'f described.

3. In a fusible cut-out for electric circuits, thccornbination, with theterminal plates D D, having binding-screws, of the spring-jaws G,fastened beneath tongues on said plates, and a fuse wire or stripcarried bya suitable support having rings 0r ferrules C, to which theends of said strip are soldered.

Signed at Chester, in the county of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania,this 19th day of March, A. D. 1891.

CRAIG RITCIIIE ARNOLD.

INTitnesses:

J. LENTZ GARRETT, B. W. BLAKELEY.

